New York City: Park Slope, Brooklyn Portraits

The following are images of the diverse community members that live, work and socialize in Park Slope. The majority of these photos were taken between 4th and 5th avenues, a rapidly changing area of the Slope, or in Prospect Park, where the the area's denizens can get away from the city streets.

In 2003, a controversial rezoning plan developed by the City Planning Commission signaled a major shift for Fourth Avenue and its residents. In effect, the plan has protected the Slope's wealthier residents and has allowed for luxury development in the poorer section along Fourth Avenue.

Many long-time residents - often Latinos, Blacks, and the elderly - have been pressed out of their rent-controlled and rent-stabilized apartments. This part of Park Slope has been home to many working class Italian families since 1915, and these same families are now faced with selling out to developers.

The neighborhood that was once rich in diversity is at risk for becoming “The future Park Avenue of Brooklyn.”

Activists call for another rezoning plan of Fourth Avenue that encourages only low-rise development, preservation of traditional neighborhood housing and provisions to protect the remaining low to middle income residents who have been part of the fabric of the community for decades.